Engine



Sept. 28 1926.

E. M. -ZlER ET AL ENGINE Fi1ed Oct. 21, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedSept. 28, 1926.

STATES EDWARD M. ZIER AND MICIIAEL ZIER, OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA.

ENGIN E.

Application filed October 21, 1922. Seral No. 595,965.

0111 invention relates to neW and useful improvoments in an internalCombustion engine of the four cycle type and has for -1ts rincipalobject the provision of an engme aving a oompressing oyl mder and pistoninterposed between two firm g cyhnders and pistons, said compressmgpiston upon each downvvard stroke drawing in a charge ot gas and upneach upward stroke forcing Sa1d charge into one or the other of thefiring oylinders.

Another object cons1scs in formmg the compressing cylinder and piston ofa greater diameter than the firing cylinders and pistons and soconnecting the pistons to a common drive shaft that the firing pistonsWill operate in advance of the compressmg piston, the compressingcyl1ndcr and piston being 01 greater chameter than the fill}g cylindersallowing the gases to be cornpac y oompressed in the firmg cyhndersadowmg a greater combustion than would be the case if not so compactlycompressed and the firmg pistons operated in advance of the compress ingpiston allowing the connectmn between the piston rods and crank shatt tobe ofi center when the fiiing takes place.

A urther objeot residesin positioning the valves in a novel 1nanner andproviding a passage from the compression cyhnder to each of the firingcylinders, a valve normally closing each passage but adapted to beopened for drawing in and compressing a charge and one valve beingclosed while the other is open.

YVith the above and other objecte in view OUI invention consists in thenovel details of construction and combination of parts described in thefollowing specification and illustrated in the acoompanyng drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a fragniental longitudinal vertical section through theoylinder oasting and cover With the pistons, piston rods, cran]: shaftand spark plugs shown in elevation.

Fig 2 is a fragmental horizontal section throughthe cylinder castingcover with the cylinder casting and valves shown in top lan.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the cylinder casting,oover, and cran]: case, with parts shown in elevamon, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmental longitudinal vertical section through thecylinder castmg and cover showing the valves and valve operat-- ingmechanism in side. elevation.

In the drawings 1 indicates a portion of the cylinder casting formedwith the firing oylinders 2 and 3 and the compressing cyL inder 4-therebetwcen, pistons 5 and 6 oper ating in the cylinders 2 and 3,respectively, and piston 7 operating in the oylinder 41, the compressingcylinder 4 and its piston 7 being o greater diameter than the firingcylinders and pistons for a purp0se Which Will be later described. Thecasting 1 is formedwith openingsor passages 8 surrounding the cylindersto receive the usual water or other cooling medium. While we haveillustrated only. a portion of the casting disclosing two firingcylinders and pistons and one compression cylinder and piston it Will beunderstood that any number of cylindersand associated pistons may beprovided, four firing cylinders and pistons and two compressingcylinders and pistons being provided for an engine of the usual fourcylinder type.

Supported on and seoured to the top of the casting 1 is the head 9 whichseparates the cylinders at the top, as shovvn, and is providedwith thepassages 10 for receiving the cooling medium. A spark plug 11 is carriedby the head over each of the firing cylinders and these plugs will beconnected to the usual ignition system for supplying the spark. Thecasting 1 is sappord on the crank case 12, the crank Case rotatablysupporting'the orank shaft 13 which extends longitudinafly beneath thecasting. A piston rod 14 is connected at one end to the piston 5 and atthe opposite end to the shaft 13, a

piston rod 15 connects the piston 6 and shaft 13 and a piston rod 16connects the piston with the cran]: shaft The piston rods are soconnected to the crank shaft that the firing pistons 5 and 6 Willoperate sliglcIy in advance of the compressing piston Formed in thecasting 1, adjacent the cylinder 2, is the intake port 17 and theexhaust port 18, the upper ends of these ports being formed Wtll seatsto receive the valves 19 and 20, respectively, Which have the usualstems 21. Springs 22 surromnd these stems between the under side of thecastingl and the washers 23 and normally hold the valves upon theirseats. Formed in the casting 1, adjacent the cylinder 3, is the intakeport 24:

and the exhaust port 25, the upper ends of the ports being formed withseats adapted to receive the valves 26 and 27 respectively which havethe usual stems 28.

Springs 29 snrronnd the stems between the underside of the casting andthe washers 30 to normally hold the valves upon their seats. Openings 31and 32 extend clownwardly from the top of the oasting 1, one

opening being on eaoh side et the oomppessing cylinder 4, the opening 31commmnoating vvith a passage 33 which leads to the firing oylinder 2 andthe opening 32 com-- mnnicating with a passage 34. which leads to thefiiing oylinder 3. The opening 31 is formed at the upper edge with aseat to reeeive the valve 35 and the opening 32 is formed at the upperedge with a seat to receive the valve 36. The valves 35 and 36 have theusnal stems 37 Which are suriounded by the sp1ings 38 between the underside of the casting 1 and the washers 39, the .springs normal1y holdingthe valves upon their seats. Each of the valves 19, 20, 26, 27, 35 and36 are adapted to be operated through means of the cams 40 on the camshait 41, said Cams engaging the membe1s 1-2 Which in turn engage theends of the valve stems. The cams Will be so positionod as to properlytime the opening et the valves.

The inlet ports 17 and 24: are connected to the nsual intake manifoldand the exhaust ports 18 and 25 are connected to the usual exhaustmanifold.

Having now described the detail constrnotion We Will desoribe more fullythe operation. With the pistons in the position shown in Fig. 1 thevalves 26, 27 and 36 are closed and the compressed gases in the fifingcylinder 3 is ready to loe fi1ed, it being noted that the connectionbetween the rod 15 and crank shaft 13 is ofi' center. The piston 5 inthe living cylinder 2 has reached about mid-way position and has drawnin gas through the inlet port 17, the valve 19 being open. WVhen thefifing takes place in the cylinder 3 the pistons 5, 6 and 7 Will allcontinue their downward stroke, the piston 5 drawing in gas through theport 17 and the piston 7 drawing in gas through the passage 33, from thecylinder 2, the valve 35 being open at the time of the firing. As shownand described the firing pistons 5 and 6 operate in advance 01'' theoompressing piston 7 and the firing pis-- tons 5 and 6 reach theirlowermost positions and start on the up stroke while the piston 7 isstill going clown drawing in gas. As the piston 5 moves up itcompresses'the gas which is has diaWn into the oylinder 2 and when thepiston 7 moves np it com presses the gas which has been drawn into thecylinder 4 and forces it through the passage 33 into the cylinder 2.When the piston 7 starts upwards the intake valve 19 Will close but thevalve 35 Will remain open until the piston reaches its uppermostposition when it ivill close. lVhen the piston 6 starts up, the firingin the oylinder 3 having been accomplished, the exhaust valve 27 Willopen and the movement O the piston npwardly forces out the exhaustgases. The piston 5 Wlll start on its second clown stroke before thepiston 7 reaches its nppevmost position and Will &each about mid-1vayposition be-ore the firing take s pla;e. The cylinder 4 and piston 7being of greater diameter than the oylinder 2 and piston 5 Will tightlyoompress the gases in the. cylinder 2 to cause a greacer explosion thantakes place in engines of the usnal construction and the connection ofthe 1od 1 1 with the shaft 13 will be ofi center, When the piston 6reaches its uppermos: position the intake valve 26 Will be open and theexhanst valve 27 closed so that when the piston starts down gas Will -beagain drawn into the cydnder 3. When the piston 7 again starts clown gasWill be drawn into the cylinder lthrongh the passage 34.-, the valvebeing open at the time the pis ton 7 starts down. On its up stroke thepiston 6 Wlll compress the gases in the cyl- 1nder Will compress thegasses in the oylinder 4 and force it over into the cylinder 3 thronghthe passage It Will be unde1stood that vxhen piston 7 starts up theintake valve 2 1 Will ne closedand the valve 36 Will be closed when thepiston 7 machos its uppermost position. As the piston 5 goes up, whilethe piston 6 is compressing, it is enhansing the gas fiom the cylinder 2throngh the exhaust port 18, the oxhaust valve 20 being thon opened.From the above it Will e seen that the piston 7 draws in gas on oachdown stmke and compresses it on each up stroke, delivering theeompressed gases alternaly to the oylinders 2 and 3, the greaterdiameter of the compressing cylinder and piston oausing a tightcompression of the gases in the fi1ing cylinders.

The engins described may be made in the vertical, horizontal or V-shapedtype and the oompressing cylinder may be made any size or different inst10ke from the firing cylinder t0 regular the amount of gas compressed. Each cylinder fires eaoh time the orank shat turns 0ver twioe.

Having fully described our invention what we daim and desire to seoureloy Lettors Patent is:

1. An engine comprising a pair of firing cylinders, a oompressingoylinder interposed between the fiiing oylinders, a piston oper able ineach of the cylinders, means for siinnltaneously drawing a charge intoone 01" the fifing cylinders and the oompressing cylinder upon theclownward str0ke of the and the piston 7 on its up stroke pistonstherein, and means for compressing the charge in both of the cylindersupon the upward movement CI the pistons therein and transfeming thec0mpressed charge from the compressing cylinder into the firingcylinder.

2. An engins comprising a pair of firing cylinders, a compressingcylinder pistons operable in each of the cylinders, means for drawing acharge into one of the firing cylinders and compressing oylinder whilethe firing is taking place in the other firing cylinder, and means foroompressing the charge in said first mentioned cylinders whileexhausting the gases from the last mentioned cylinder.

3. An engine comprising a pair of firing cylinders, a compressingcyli11der, a piston operable in each of the cylinders, valved passagesleading from the compression cylinder to each of the firing cylinders,and means for opening the valve in one of the passages dnring theclownward movement of the pistons so that a charge Will be drawn intoone of the firing cylinders and the compressing oylinder while the valvein the other passage remains olosed.

4. An engine comprising a pair of firing cylinders, each having anintake and an exhaust port, a valve in each of the intake and exhaustports, a compressing cylinder, a valved passage leading from thecompressing cylinder to each of the firing cylinders, pistons operablein each of the cylinders, and means for operating the valves in theintake and exhaust ports and the passages between the cylinders so thatwhen firing is taking place in one of the firing oylinders a charge Willbe drawn into the other firing oylinder and compressing cylinder uponthe dmvnward movement 01: the pistons therein and when the exhaust gasesare being discharged froin that cylinder which has fired the charge inthe other firing cylinder and compressing cylinder Will be compressedand the charge from the oompressing cylinder Will be transferred to thatfiring cylinder WhlCh has drawn in a charge;

5. An engins comprising a fire cylinder, a compressing oylinder, apiston operable in each of the cylinders, the piston in the firingcylinder operating in advance of the piston in the compressing cylinder,and means whereby a charge is drawn into the firng and compressingcylinders upon the clown stroke of the pistons therein and compressed onthe up stroke of the pistons, the firing piston operating in advance ofthe comptessing piston allowing the compress ing piston to continue todraw in the charge after the firing piston has started on the up strokeand to continue its compressing after the piston in the firing cylinderhas started on its firing stroke.

6. An engine comprising apair of firng cylinders, a compressingoylinder, pistons operable in each of the cylindef5, a valved inlet portand a valved exhaust port for each of the firing cylinders, a valvedpassage rom each of the firing cylinders to the compressing cylinder,and means for controlling the inlet and exhaust valves and the valves ofthe passages from the firing cylinders to the compressing cylinder sothat on the clown str0ke of the pistons a charge Will be drawn into oneof the firing cylinders and the compressing cylinder while a charge isfiring in the other firing cylinder, the charge into the compressingcylinder being drawn from the firing cylinder through the communicatingpassage.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affiX our signatures.

EDWARD M. ZIER. MICHAEL ZIER.

